"exercise" for 250+ lbs people (100+ to lose)

Started at 231 and Ido the curves circuit and free weights. I have lost 30 pounds so far but there other exercises I would like to try when I get a bit smaller, like running or a boot camp.

I'm hovering around 300 right now (and dropping steadily) and I can, will, and actually do everything a normal person generally does. Walking, swimming, Wii Fit, jogging, free-step (so much fun actually), Zumba, aerobics in general, treadmill, stationary bike, cardio. No matter how you spin it, I can do it all and I do, I just like to mix it up.

I started at 315 and use the elliptical, if you can move fast up the resistance to get you working. Also weight training is key. Look for a beginner weight lifting routine that works for you. I'm about 250 now and have started to do the couch to 5k program.

earlnabby wrote: »

thegreatmd wrote: »

So clearly, at 290 I can not, and probably shouldn't even attempt, many of the "recommended workouts.". Yes, there's walking... And I've gotten on the bicycle (it's so fun to have people call you a fatass as they drive by), but what are y'all doing? I'm looking for some variety... Thanks!

I was 311 when I started and could not walk up the stairs without stopping. My first exercise was a water aerobics class. I did that 3 times a week for a couple of months before I was able to walk a block without back pain. I kept up the class and kept increasing my distance. 9 months later, I was able to add a few laps of swimming in addition to the class and the walking. Now (19 months later) I am 115 lb less and I am able to average 15,000 steps a day, swim 1.25 miles 3 x a week, and I still do the water aerobics 3 x a week.

Water is the heavy person's godsend. Whether you do aerobics, swim, water jog, or just walk back and forth it can give you a good workout while minimizing some of the issues with joints, etc. common among the heavier people.

Do you find it any harder to swim now because of less buoyancy? At 300+ pounds I could swim like nobody's business....Now it doesn't matter how much effort I put in...I sink like a rock.

At 245 lbs, I walk, swim, pilates, dance (including barre, burlesque, & pole), etc.

Start off slow and listen to your body, but your weight doesn't have to hold you back. Just find something you like and do it!

My max weight was 242; since you are larger than I have been some of my suggestions may or may not work for you.

When you are large, it is really important to read about, understand, and use target heart rate. You are effectively working out with weights every time you move, so it is little wonder that some things that work for skinny folk don't work well for you, since you have built-in 15 lb ankle-weights or some-such. The usual canned estimates for how strenuous something is are not going to work for you. The heart-rate method is self-adjusting to how your body is performing *today*, so it's a really reliable way to get the most benefit from your efforts. You can measure your heart rate by taking your pulse at the neck for 6 seconds and multiplying by 10, or 10 seconds and multiplying by 6. If you can afford a heart-rate monitor, they're really convenient. Brand isn't that important unless you swim, in which case Polar brand is best--waterproof and can give you heart rate while swimming.

Swimming is good. But also, consider the "old lady pool classes" where people do zumba-like activity in the pool. This will give your muscles a chance to work out with less joint stress. You'll need some kind of water shoes though or you'll wear the skin off your toes--the water makes your skin soft and vulnerable and pool bottoms can be like sandpaper.

Biking may not be the best choice; the seats are uncomfortable at high weight, and most bike frames are designed with an engineering assumption of a 200 lb or less rider (I learned by studying materials engineering as a grad student). You can get hidden bike-frame damage that over time can lead to catastrophic failure. I have seen the frame of a bike break at the welds between the handle-bar tube and the rest of the frame, resulting in a serious wipe-out (the case I saw was due to years of hard use by a triathlete though, not weight). If you continue biking at this weight be aware of the possibility of equipment failure and 'pre-flight' inspect your bike frequently. As an alternative you could try stationary bikes at a gym, using target heart rate as your guide. I've heard spin classes can be catty so they might not be good things to attend yet.

BTW anyone who mocks you for trying to improve your health on a bike has got a serious personality defect. It's them, not you.

Yoga is good. Some poses you can't do yet because fat is in the way (I find this to be true even at my current weight of ~220 lbs), but you'll benefit from all the others. There is absolutely no stigma in a yoga class when anyone sits out a particular move or substitutes something else for things they can't do yet; you may find yoga classes to be the most psychologically supportive environment out of any activity in your health effort.

To reduce joint strain, try for lower weights (you already have some built-in) and more repetitions when you do weight training.

If something hurts your joints, stop doing it. Try again when you've lost more weight--say, every 10 or 15 lbs re-try it to see if you can do it yet.

You are at higher risk of injury, and getting an injury will do more to slow you down than going slow in the first place. Resist impatience!

And yes, the YMCA's usually have "scholarships" for low-income people! The Y will give you access to weights, stationary bikes, yoga and other group classes, some have a pool and water aerobics, free orientation to how to use the weight machines, and sometimes personal trainers (which may or may not have a discounted rate for scholarship members, depending on the specific YMCA you belong to.)

I'm not working either and my YMCA discounted membership is about $33/mo. It includes all of the above but no discounts on personal trainers.

PS: Proper retort: "better a fatass than an *sshole!"

PPS: Some junior colleges offer gym classes that may help you. Depending on where you are and any financial aid available at the Jr. College, this may prove to be your least expensive and best equipped option. Check into whatever is near you.

earlnabby wrote: »

meganjcallaghan wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

thegreatmd wrote: »

So clearly, at 290 I can not, and probably shouldn't even attempt, many of the "recommended workouts.". Yes, there's walking... And I've gotten on the bicycle (it's so fun to have people call you a fatass as they drive by), but what are y'all doing? I'm looking for some variety... Thanks!

I was 311 when I started and could not walk up the stairs without stopping. My first exercise was a water aerobics class. I did that 3 times a week for a couple of months before I was able to walk a block without back pain. I kept up the class and kept increasing my distance. 9 months later, I was able to add a few laps of swimming in addition to the class and the walking. Now (19 months later) I am 115 lb less and I am able to average 15,000 steps a day, swim 1.25 miles 3 x a week, and I still do the water aerobics 3 x a week.

Water is the heavy person's godsend. Whether you do aerobics, swim, water jog, or just walk back and forth it can give you a good workout while minimizing some of the issues with joints, etc. common among the heavier people.

Do you find it any harder to swim now because of less buoyancy? At 300+ pounds I could swim like nobody's business....Now it doesn't matter how much effort I put in...I sink like a rock.

Nope. My muscles are stronger so it is easier to swim.

haha....bizarre. Maybe it's just me. It's hard to see my arm muscles under the skin curtains, but I've got guns under the drapery. And my leg muscles are ginormous from running. Last summer I thought "gosh, it's hot out" and I had finally found a bathing suit that sort of worked (harder to find one that doesn't look gross on me now than when I was big...go figure)....so into the river I dove. Try as I might to stay afloat, using all the strokes in my repertoire, I headed straight for the bottom and had to literally walk myself out. Good thing I still had my 2 minute breath holding ability and my tendency not to panic. lol

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